Secrets of the Superhuman Food Pyramid: Benefits of Olive Oil

Used for centuries, olive oil to this day still proves to be one of the most versatile oils because of its function as food, beauty aid, as well as home remedy for a host of physical maladies. Olive oil used to mostly come from Mediterranean Europe. However, even the United States now has its own olive oil production. This is certainly a good thing as a sustainable supply of olive oil means it’s easily accessible to allow us to maximize its manifold health benefits.

Read further and discover more about the benefits of olive oil and why the Superhuman Food Pyramid recommends you include this source of dietary fats to help in your quest to Become Superhuman.

Olive Oil Benefits:

Olive oil has long been known as a potent antioxidant not just because of its high vitamin E content. As it turns out, olive oil’s polyphenols protect against oxidative damage. This edible oil appears to be effective at guarding against stroke and heart disease as well. For one, a diet rich in olive oil has been found to help promote healthier blood pressure in men. For another, olive oil protects the heart from metabolic changes brought about by obesity, according to one animal study.

Olive oil may be a suitable cancer-preventive food as well. In one Belgian study, it was found that those with moderate to significant intake of olive oil had lesser odds of developing bladder cancer, as compared to those whose source of dietary fats are animal products.

Olive oil has been proven effective at managing weight as well. In a study published on the Journal of Women’s Health, overweight breast cancer survivors were made to follow a standard lower-fat diet and one that is rich in olive oil. Results showed greater and more sustainable weight loss in the olive oil-rich diet than the traditional lower-fat diet, signifying a promising weight management potential of this edible oil, specifically for those who have been through breast cancer.

Lastly, olive oil, much like coconut oil, appears to have a profound effect on cognition. In a French study, elderly subjects who were given moderate to significant amounts of olive oil in the entire course of the research showed improved visual memory as well as verbal fluency. Further studies have to be conducted, though it’s great to know that olive oil may just be a healthier preventive and possibly therapeutic alternative to addressing cognitive deficit and decline which are characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Olive Oil’s Practical Uses:

As one of the most versatile oils out there, it comes as no surprise how olive oil can have so many uses. It is of course a popular ingredient in salad dressings. Homemade pizzas can be made healthier by substituting the usual edible oils you use to grease the pizza pan with olive oil instead. You can also add olive oil to fruit smoothies or vegetable juices for an energy boosting drink.

Olive oil, as a beauty aid, has manifold applications as well. You can dab a few drops directly to your skin for a chemical-free moisturizer. You can concoct your very own lip gloss by combining organic beeswax and olive oil as well.

As a home remedy, it can treat gingivitis and halitosis or be used as an agent for maintaining oral health by using olive oil daily for oil pulling. It can also be used as a base or carrier oil for essential oils you use for therapeutic massages.

In the next post, I’ll tell you the benefits of macadamia nut oil and why you should eat it to help in your quest to Become Superhuman.

In the meantime, if you care to jump ahead, here is a complete listing of the dietary sources of fats on the Superhuman Food Pyramid:

Eat:

• Coconut Oil
• Coconut Meat
• Olive Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Avocados
• Olives
• Organic Grass-Fed Butter
• Organic Yogurt (Full-Fat)
•  Ghee
• Free Range Eggs (With Yolk)
• Grass-Fed Beef, Bison, or Buffalo or Lamb
• Sardines, Anchovies or Haddock in Water or Olive Oil
• Wild Salmon, Trout, Tilapia, Flounder
• Triglyceride-Based Fish Oil
• Pure Cod Liver Oil

Moderate:

• Raw Nuts (Except Peanuts)
• Raw Seeds
• Almond Butter
• Palm Oil
• Cold Press Flax Oil
• Bacon
• Mayonnaise
• Organic Peanut Butter
• Coconut Ice Cream
• Dark Chocolate

Avoid:

• Roasted Nuts
• Roasted Seeds
• Regular Peanut Butter
• Regular Butter
• Non-Organic Meats
• Margarine
• Any ‘Spreadable’ Condiments
• Farmed Fish
• Commercial Salad Dressings
• Safflower Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Canola Oil
• Cottonseed Oil
• Commercial Flax Oil
• Soy Ice Cream
• Regular Ice Cream
• Milk Chocolate

If you have questions, comments or feedback about the benefits of olive oil, the Superhuman Food Pyramid, this website, or other aspects of Becoming Superhuman, then leave your thoughts below, as well as any tips you have on the benefits of olive oil.